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Gemstone and Mineral Facts and Information
Amethyst Chemical composition: SiO2 (minor Fe4+ impurities cause amethyst's color)
Class: tectosilicate
Crystal system: Hexagonal-R; 32 (trigonal-trapezohedral)
Crystal habit: Macroscopic crystals occur as horizontally striated hexagonal prisms terminated by a combination of positive and negative rhombohedrons forming six sided pyramids. Amethyst often occurs as drusy masses showing only the rhobohedral terminations. It can also be massive.
Twinning: Dauphine twin with c the twin axis, Brazil twin with {1120} the twin plane
Specific gravity: 2.65
Index of refraction: 1.54-1.55
Birefringence: 0.009
Pleochroism: distinct
Moh's Hardness Scale (1-10): 7
Colors Common to Amethyst: light to dark purple
Luster: vitreous
Transparency: transparent to translucent
Cleavage: none
Fracture: conchoidal
Streak: white
Mineral Family: Quartz
Amethyst is a stone that will normally withstand everyday use as it is a fairly hard gemstone rated at 7 on the Moh's Hardness Scale.
Crystal habit: Macroscopic crystals occur as horizontally striated hexagonal prisms terminated by a combination of positive and negative rhombohedrons forming six sided pyramids. Amethyst often occurs as drusy masses showing only the rhobohedral terminations. It can also be massive.
Twinning: Dauphine twin with c the twin axis, Brazil twin with {1120} the twin plane
Specific gravity: 2.65
Index of refraction: 1.54-1.55
Birefringence: 0.009
Pleochroism: distinct
Moh's Hardness Scale (1-10): 7
Colors Common to Amethyst: light to dark purple
Luster: vitreous
Transparency: transparent to translucent
Cleavage: none
Fracture: conchoidal
Streak: white
Mineral Family: Quartz
Amethyst Origins: Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, and African countries like Zambia and
Namibia, small amounts of amethyst are also found in Arizona at the
Four Peaks mine near Phoenix.
Beware of Synthetics: There is also a synthetic amethyst that is made in labs in Russia, China, and other places. Only a few labs can separate it from natural
amethyst, so use care when buying from dubious sources. The American Gem Trade Association Gem
Testing Center is one of the leading labs in the world offering this
service.
Amethyst is a stone that will normally withstand everyday use as it is a fairly hard gemstone rated at 7 on the Moh's Hardness Scale.
Amethyst has been used as gemstones and other ornamental objects for thousands of years.
The early Greeks believed that amethyst would protect one from the effects of drunkenness when consuming alcohol. A possible explanation for this unusual virtue being given to amethyst is that when water is poured into a cup fashioned of amethyst, it would have the appearance of wine yet could be drunk without experiencing wine's normal inebriative effect. In ancient cultures, amethyst amulets were worn as antidotes against poison, to dispell sleep, as protection against harm in battle and to sharpen one's wits.
In medieval times, amethyst was still credited with protecting one from the effects of drunkenness, both of the cup and also from the intoxicating effects of being in love. The wearing of amethyst was also known to protect soldiers from harm and give them victory over their enemies, and assist hunters with the capture of wild animals.
The name amethyst comes from the Greek word amethustos which means not
drunken. In the first century, Pliny wrote that amethyst was so named
for its color being nearly the same as that of wine. Early Greeks
believed that drinking wine from an amethyst cup would prevent
intoxication.
The astrological signs of amethyst are Pisces, Virgo, Aquarius and Capricorn.
Amethyst is the birthstone for the month of February.
Amethyst is the symbolic gemstone for the 17th wedding anniversary.
The purple color of amethyst is due to small amounts of iron impurities (about 40ppm (parts per million)) at specific sites in the crystal structure of quartz.
The difference between amethyst and citrine is only the oxidation state of the iron impurities present in the quartz.
Upon heating, the iron impurities are reduced and amethyst's purple color fades and becomes yellow to reddish-orange (citrine), green, or colorless depending on the site and original oxidation state of the iron impurities present and the amount and duration of the heating.
The amethystine color usually can be regained by irradiation which re-oxidizes the iron impurities. This irradiation can be done by synthetic means, or it can occur in nature by radioactive decay of nearby radioactive minerals. In most cases this is a reversible process, however excessive heating may change the distribution of the iron impurities at the different sites within the quartz making it impossible to convert it back to amethyst by subsequent irradiation.
The heating process can occur naturally or synthetically. At the present, it is not possible to determine whether or not an amethyst or citrine was synthetically irradiated or heated.
Amethyst is featured in the Crown Jewels and a favorite of Catherine the Great and other royalty. Leonardo da Vinci belied that Amethyst could distill evil thoughts and promote intelligence.
Brazil and Zambia both are two primary sources of Amethyst and the darker hues are rarely enhanced to perfect the colors.
It should be noted that at times, Amethyst is heated, though rarely to lighten the color and prolonged exposure to sunlight may also lighten unheated material.
Cleaning Required: Normal cleaning with mild dish soap and water with a light brush, and a more through cleaning at your Jeweler's. One should be sure to brush the small crevices or other places dust and other particles may collect over time.
The early Greeks believed that amethyst would protect one from the effects of drunkenness when consuming alcohol. A possible explanation for this unusual virtue being given to amethyst is that when water is poured into a cup fashioned of amethyst, it would have the appearance of wine yet could be drunk without experiencing wine's normal inebriative effect. In ancient cultures, amethyst amulets were worn as antidotes against poison, to dispell sleep, as protection against harm in battle and to sharpen one's wits.
In medieval times, amethyst was still credited with protecting one from the effects of drunkenness, both of the cup and also from the intoxicating effects of being in love. The wearing of amethyst was also known to protect soldiers from harm and give them victory over their enemies, and assist hunters with the capture of wild animals.
The astrological signs of amethyst are Pisces, Virgo, Aquarius and Capricorn.
Amethyst is the birthstone for the month of February.
Amethyst is the symbolic gemstone for the 17th wedding anniversary.
The purple color of amethyst is due to small amounts of iron impurities (about 40ppm (parts per million)) at specific sites in the crystal structure of quartz.
The difference between amethyst and citrine is only the oxidation state of the iron impurities present in the quartz.
Upon heating, the iron impurities are reduced and amethyst's purple color fades and becomes yellow to reddish-orange (citrine), green, or colorless depending on the site and original oxidation state of the iron impurities present and the amount and duration of the heating.
The amethystine color usually can be regained by irradiation which re-oxidizes the iron impurities. This irradiation can be done by synthetic means, or it can occur in nature by radioactive decay of nearby radioactive minerals. In most cases this is a reversible process, however excessive heating may change the distribution of the iron impurities at the different sites within the quartz making it impossible to convert it back to amethyst by subsequent irradiation.
The heating process can occur naturally or synthetically. At the present, it is not possible to determine whether or not an amethyst or citrine was synthetically irradiated or heated.
Amethyst is featured in the Crown Jewels and a favorite of Catherine the Great and other royalty. Leonardo da Vinci belied that Amethyst could distill evil thoughts and promote intelligence.
Brazil and Zambia both are two primary sources of Amethyst and the darker hues are rarely enhanced to perfect the colors.
It should be noted that at times, Amethyst is heated, though rarely to lighten the color and prolonged exposure to sunlight may also lighten unheated material.
Cleaning Required: Normal cleaning with mild dish soap and water with a light brush, and a more through cleaning at your Jeweler's. One should be sure to brush the small crevices or other places dust and other particles may collect over time.
Fore-noting: As we have outlined in the above section under Amethyst, one should take care to note that you should beware of synthetics in the Amethyst field, particularly with Siberian varieties. Many Synthetic have their origin in places like Russia, China, and other known places. As only a few gem labs are capable of separating the true mineral from that of a synthesized one, make sure you buy from reputable companies who will stand behind their products. For testing , as they are common in the field of Colored Gemstones, we recommend the American Gem Trade Association Gem Testing Center as they are one of the leading labs in the world offering such service.
As we have already discussed much about the chemical and other composition of the Quartz family of miners in the Amethyst area above, we will not provide any other relative information on that. In this sense we will merely focus on the primary observances that we have noted when it comes to the field of Amethyst gemstones of the Siberian variety as they have become known for.
Many people relate various things when it comes to that of Siberian Amethyst; particularly in selling the Gemstone, you see many stone types, many times even on places like Ebay and otherwise that purport that there is even a color-changing amethyst of deep Siberian relation; though this one certainly has escaped us and there is little information if much at all to even justify this is the case. Not to say it does not, but certainly we can't find any. And it has not been for lack of trying.
Secondly we will like to add if there is a color change going on with the play of the Siberian Amethyst Gemstone we relate it mostly to the differences of light reflecting off the stone in various instances. Such as for example, an Amethyst may look a different color under a florescent light than it might under say a natural light. This is not uncommon with Gemstones and particularly those that have been faceted due to the refraction of light and other relations in direct play. It is more commonly referred to as say the Iolite which is a very famous known stone in this relation. And to even get it to happen takes a very detailed and skilled crafter when faceting the stone.
Iolite in this case can show from different angels as Beautiful dark purple from the top, and almost a clear color like white topaz even from one side and a lighter play of purple on another side. It should be noted that when it is more or less reflecting a clear side or even when it is mostly clear, it has been referred to as a water sapphire. Even so, as with the various purple play going on as well, it should not also be confused with that of a Tanzanite which has much in relation when it comes to this color play going on.
This said, there is a point here. This refraction of the various shades of light are possible through faceting and what is known as pleochroism that which allows this to take place. Even so as noted in the above paragraph the one primary reason that the blue-violet iolite look alike Tanzanite is often confused for its counterpart is because Zoisolite, the mineral family from which Tanzanite is Member Gem, contains a pleohroism similar to that of the Iolite, a Gemstone Member of the Cordierite family of minerals. As this is the case, it mostly is confused with the Tanzanite as again, it is very similar in color and many times will show as the same tones of blue-violate as that of the Tanzanite.
In relating this information we now come to our main point. The color plays that are going on with true Amethyst of the Siberian variety. We focus on this area as these gemstones command high prices per carat and are the most sought after when it comes to the Amethyst family. They can fetch many times what a normal Amethyst can; if we can ever relate that mother nature's semi-precious gemstones are anything except normal.
If we look at known color charts, we will see the following hues going on when it comes to what is referred to in the color realm as dark siberian.
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Dark Siberian has a Color code #660099.
Image #1
Image #2
n.
- A purple or violet form of transparent quartz used as a gemstone.
- A purple variety of corundum used as a gemstone.
- A moderate purple to grayish reddish purple.
[Middle English amatist, from Old French, from Latin amethystus, from Greek amethustos, not drunk or intoxicating, remedy for intoxication, amethyst : a-, not; see a–1 + *methuskein, to intoxicate (from methuein, to be drunk, from methu, wine).]
amethystine am'e·thys'tine (-thĭs'tĭn, -tīn') adj.
Source: Answers.com
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If we review our dictionary definition, a common definition though we can use many others, we notice that Amethyst in particular refers to a purple or violet, moderated grayish reddish purple. If we look to
most people's definitions of what Siberian Amethyst color would resemble, many in most part, except many that are commanding the higher prices for the Gemstone, are selling gemstones that are of more or less a Bluish Purple or even a Reddish type that even comes close to that of a fine Garnet. If we review for example what most non-profit and other agencies may show, we see that they relate mostly that Siberian Amethyst is of a normal purple amethyst color with flashes of red and blue in them.
If we see many stones on the web today we see many that are, and most that are, a darker bluish type of violet containing little if not any red at all, or more reddish garnet that contains more red colors to practically even place it into that of a true category of almost a ruby.
Now if we review our photos again, Photo #1 shows a play of pink type of color on the color dark siberian and seemigly the color changes. In picture #2 we see the dark siberian color more vividly against the greenish background. If we review these charts and what we know of this Gemstone and there is not very much information on this one at all, we see that in the sense of what true amethyst color is and what we believe is a color of dark siberian in our charts, we must relate that siberian most likely is a violate type of purple not overally commanding to the area or blue and not overly contained to the lilac areas or bluish purple and other areas.
In this sense we believe, though there are many that may dispute this, but based on what information is available using our color coding based on actual color known definitons known to man and designed for those purposes we will relate that Siberian, the best possible example that we can show you is listed on our site at the time of this writing and we show it to you here along with both color charts.
In this relation as we can see above, our stone more closely resembles the play in the Real true Siberian Amethyst than that of the reds or overwhelming purples. We see a nice play of violet and a very pretty and almost perfect bluish violet, slahes or pinkish red and even small flashes in it of actual reds. It is our belief, though many will wish to dispute our claims when comparing the true colors of what an actual amethyst of the siberian variety will look like we believe this comes as close to it as any one could.
Even so we also show you another which again, is closer than to this color we call Amethyst Siberian. A truly sought after stone. Again we provide you with the color charts as well. Notice there is more than enough evidence with such charts to believe it.
Although the above stone is not as vibrant and with as nice clarity as the upper one we can see the same color displays though minimal in this stone. We see blues reds and all that should be. We do not see an overwhelming display of any of them. Of course we believe in the end this stone here is probably the best example we can use; again many may disagree.
One is able to determine for themselves and based on all available evidence and logic in colors we have provided what we believe is the true color of Amethyst of the Siberan Variety. It should be noted that both of these stones were mined or have seemingly origins in the South American State of Brazil. A place where President Lula and his family call home; a country diverse in resources and one that is known to contain some of, if not the most variety of pure and quality Gemstones that we call today beautiful and truly electrifying.
Source in part: American Gem Trade Association.